Clasp.



PATENTED APR. 8, 1906.

H. WATSON. I

CLASP. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 1905 Witnesses WJOQ W i Attorneys rinrrnp srarns PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application filed July 24:, 1905. Serial Nth 271,088,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY WATSON, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Brandon, in the county of Rankin and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Clasp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clasps, and has for its object to provide an improved clasp particularly adapted for use in connection with the ribbons of watch-fobs, so as to enable the convenient application and. removal of the ribbon,to insure a strong. and durable connection of the ribbon with the fob-chain, and to maintain the ribbon fixed upon the clasp, so as to avoid rubbing upon the ribbon, which requires frequent replacing thereof in the ordinary form of fob.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended. claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the present form of clasp applied in connection with a watchfob. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the clasp open with a fobribbon in place. Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views of modified forms with the ribbon omitted.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

As best indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that the clasp of the present invention includes a front or body 12, having its longitudinal edges bent into flanges 13 and its upper end bent over upon the flanged side of the body to form a hook 14. Between the flanges there is a swinging back member 18, which is provided at each of its upper corners with a pivot-pin 19, working in a perforation 20 in the adj acent flange, whereby the member 18 is mounted. to swing toward and awayfrom the body 12 and to be received between the flanges. The lower ends of the flanges are deflected or bent inwardly, as at 13, so as to lie in the path of the edge portions 18 of the member 18 and form spring catches or keepers to hold the member 18 closed. Adjacent the lower end of the clasp there is a cross-bar 22 ,which is carried by the flanges 13, and a yokeshaped loop 21 is rigidly carried by the upper portion of the inner face of the clasp member 18. p

\ In engaging the fob-ribbon 5 with the clasp one end of the ribbon is passed upwardly between the front 12 and the crossbar or loop 22, thence downwardly through the loop 21, and back beneath the cross-bar 22 whereupon the free ends of the ribbon are drawn downwardly, which swings the pivotal clasp member 18 toward the front member 12 and snaps the same between the inturned terminals of the flanges 13, whereby the clasp member 18 is held closed and the ribbon is firmly connected to the clasp. It will here be noted that the space between the flanges 13 is just Wide enough to receive the ribbon 5, and the latter is clamped between the front and back members of the clasp, whereby lateral play of the ribbon will be prevented, and consequent wear thereon is obviated, wherefore the life of the ribbon is materially prolonged over that form of fob where the ribbon hangs loosely over a link or cross-bar and swings and -works edgewise thereon.

I propose to enable the connection of the present fob-clasp with a hanger for connection with one edge of a watch-pocket, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, wherein 1 indicates an inverted substantially U-shaped hanger having its frontface rovided with any suitable ornamentation, t 1ere being the fob-chain 2 depending from the lower end of the rear side of the ianger and carrying the swiveled hook 3 at the free end of the chain.

Within the hanger there is a substantially U-shaped spring 6, having its front member rigidly secured to the front member of the hanger and its rear member free from the hanger and provided with a longitudinal slot 7. A lever 9 is fulcrumed within a slot 8 in the rear member of the hanger and is provided with a cam or heel portion 10,working in the slot 8 and having an. intermediate terminal projection to work in the slot 7 of the spring, and thereby force the yieldable portion of the spring toward the front of the hanger. An elongated link is hung from the front side of the hanger by means of hooks or eyes 16, carried by the upper side or bar of the link and engaging suitable eyes 17, provided upon the hanger. The hook 14 of the fob-clasp is designed to be engaged with the link 15, and when the swinging back member 18 of the clasp is closed, as in Fig. 2,

the upper end of the member 18 comes into close proximity with the free end of the hook, and thereby closes the entrance thereinto, which efl'ectually prevents accidental displacement of the link 15 from the hook 14. When this form of the device is in use, the hanger 1 is placed astraddle of the outer edge of the watch-pocket, as indicated in Fig. 1 of I the drawings, and the lever 9 is swung up wardly, so as to clamp the front side of the pocket between the front of the hanger and the movable spring-j aw, whereby the hanger is fixed to the pocket, and theft of the watch and fob is thereby prevented. Moreover, should the watch drop out of the pocket it will be held from falling to the ground or the floor by reason of the hanger 1 being connected to the watch-pocket.

When the clasp is connected directly to a fob-chain, the hook or turned-over portion 14 of the clasp is provided with the eye or ring 23, as shown in Fig. 4 or as in Fig. 5, the link 15 may be employed and provided with a single eye or ring 24, located midway of its ends for connection with the fob -chain. Moreover, the ribbon can be applied and removed in a very simple and expeditious manner without piercing or puncturing the same,

and it is held against sidewise play, and

thereby prevented from becoming rubbed and worn at its point of connection with the clasp. The clasp may be removed from the hanger for convenience in applying and removing the ribbon, and the hanger may be clamped and unclamped without interference on the part of the ribbon and the clasp.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the inner end of the member 18 closes the open side of the hook 14, and thereby prevents displacement of the link from the hook. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A ribbon-clasp comprising a front member having one end bent rearwardly to form a hook, a back member hinged to the front member at the hooked end thereof with the hinged end of the back member normally closing the entrance to the hook, and ribbon receiving loops carried by the inner sides of the front and back members.

2. A clasp made up of mutuallycooperating front and back members, one of the members having longitudinal side flanges and the other member being pivoted upon and between the flanges, a loop upon one side of said other member, and a cross-bar carried by and extending between the flanges.

3. A clasp made up of pivotally-connected front and back members and loops upon the inner faces of the members combined with a flexible element having one end passed through one of the loops and both ends passed through the other loop, whereby the flexible member holds the clasp members closed.

4. A clasp made up of a pair of pivotallyconnected front and back members provided upon their inner sides with loops, combined with a ribbon having one end passed through one of the loops and both of its ends passed through the other loop, whereby the clasp members are held closed by the ribbon.

5. A ribbon-clasp made up of front and back members, one of the members having opposite longitudinal flanges and the other member being pivoted to and between the flanges, loops upon the inner sides of the clasp members, the loop of the first-mentioned member being below the other loop, combined with a ribbon having one end passed through said other loop and both ends passed downwardly through the loop of the firstmentioned member.

6. A clasp made up of front and back members, the front member terminating at its upper end in a hook and provided at its opposite edges with longitudinal flanges, the back member of the clasp being pivoted between and upon the flanges with its upper end normally closing the hook, a hanger-link removably engaged with the hook, loops upon the inner sides of the clasp members, combined with a ribbon having one end passed through the loop of the back member and both ends passed downwardly through the loop of the front member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY WATSON.

Witnesses E. H. OHLEYER, J. C. BRUCE. 

